Weather Forecast

High water earlier this year in Hudson closed a boat landing. Meteorologists say the upper atmosphere is to blame for the record-setting rainfall which has filled waterways and caused extensive flooding. File photo

Meteorologists say the upper atmosphere is to blame for the record-setting rainfall which has filled waterways and caused extensive flooding.

A dome of high pressure sitting over the southeastern United States has diverted tropical moisture to this part of the country, making this a humid summer for Wisconsin. Moisture accumulated during the summer months and a more active jet stream have pushed low pressure through this region over the last few weeks. The systems grabbed the moisture already in place, forcing it out in storm after storm. Weather experts say there is a good chance the current rainy pattern is about to leave, but not before it dumps more rain on Wisconsin this week.

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Cops frown on amateur sleuthing after citizens’ group turns up 3 sex-crime suspects

Just over a week after a group of Wausau residents decided to do something about child sex crimes, three suspects have been arrested.

Twenty-year-old Colton Muelver was the first to make an appearance in Marathon County Circuit Court Tuesday. Muelver thought he was talking to a 16-year-old boy on Grindr, but he was actually speaking with members of the "Impact" group. Wausau police say there are big safety concerns when non-professionals conduct sex crime stings. They could also compromise the evidence they collect, making prosecutions more difficult.

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Man wading in river can’t avoid arrest

The Dane County Sheriff's Office reports a 38-year-old man was wading in the Yahara River when deputies responded to a 911 call last weekend.

The deputies convinced Cody J. Goen of Waunakee to wade back to shore. Witnesses said Goen had been acting strangely in a Westport restaurant parking lot. After he was taken into custody for operating while intoxicated, a search turned up a loaded handgun in his vehicle. Goen has been booked into the Dane County Jail on tentative charges of OWI-fourth offense, felon in possession of a firearm, and resisting.

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Harley-Davidson to fix damage done to Milwaukee park turf

Harley-Davidson has already hired contractors to repair the deep ruts left in the turf at Milwaukee's Veterans Park.

Heavy rain and thousands of partiers taking part in the motorcycle company's 115th anniversary celebration chewed up the grass, leaving mud behind. The work can't start until the ground dries up. Harley-Davidson has pledged to restore the park on the Lake Michigan lakefront to the same — or even better condition — than it was before the celebration.

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Smoky fire forces evacuation of hospital patients

No injuries were reported when a smoky fire forced the evacuation of patients from Whitehall Hospital and Gundersen Tri-County Care Center.

Those patients were first moved to other rooms in the medical facility but were later transported to other temporary location. The hospital and care center was closed but is expected to reopen sometime Wednesday. Officials didn't know how many patients were affected. The fire apparently started in a heating unit and firefighters were able to contain the problem quickly.

State health officials say at least 40 cases of bleeding from rat poison have been confirmed in four counties since March.

One 33-year-old woman died in July. The rat poison has been found in synthetic marijuana, also known as K-2 or spice. It isn't known how or why the rat poison got into the products. At least 10 other states are dealing with a similar situation. There have been eight new cases in Wisconsin in just the last two weeks.

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Eau Claire police ID suspect in woman’s beating

Authorities have identified the 41-year-old domestic violence suspect who's accused of shooting at pursuing law enforcement officers last week.

Girard Jones drove away when officers tried to arrest him in the Chippewa Falls area and he opened fire while he was being chased. Nobody was hit. The search for Jones started shortly after a woman arrived at a hospital with severe head injuries. Part of her skull had to be removed to relieve pressure on her brain. Jones told investigators she jumped out of a vehicle while it was moving. The woman's name hasn't been released. She is reported to be in critical condition.